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Build a Greene & Greene Blanket Chest

At the Darrell Peart School of Precision Woodworking

Class Details

Duration: Six days
Class Size: Maximum of four or five students (see note on main class page)
Tuition: $850
Materials: $500 (includes tax)
Deposit:n $400

Class DatesMarch 26th – 31st Full
April 9th – 14th Full
6 Days

Class Description

Over a six-day period, you will build a Greene & Greene style blanket chest. A chest of this size lends itself to a variety of uses other than storing blankets – think coffee table, toy chest, hope chest…

By the end of the project, you will have expanded your experience with several classic G&G design elements such as making and inserting ebony plugs, bread board ends with ebony splines, proud finger joints as well as the “strap detail.”

The finger joints for the case will be machined using a routing template. All parts of the top (lid) will be made from solid wood. Torsion hinges (for a soft landing lid) will be provided and installed in class.

There will be plenty of hand sanding to soften the ends of the fingered joints – but we have lots of carver’s tape to protect your fingers.

This will be an enjoyable week to build a piece of furniture in a relaxed atmosphere and talk about Greene & Greene and woodworking (two of Darrell’s favorite subjects).

Templates to build a 2nd Blanket Chest (at home) will be available for purchase.

Suggested Tools

Measuring tools – squares, tape measure

Steel hammer

Small plastic headed mallet

Small adjustable square (4″ or so) or square saddle

Dental pick (not necessary, but might be helpful)

1/4” Lee Valley square punch with 4” (or longer) 13/64” twist bit

5/16” Lee Valley square punch with 17/64” twist bit

3/8” Lee Valley square punch with 21/64” twist bit

Small chisels

Besides bringing a notebook, feel free to bring along a camera to make a visual record of the jigs and setups that you use in class

Open enrollment begins October 23rd (October 20th for prior students)

Contact Darrell to enroll in this class or be put on a waiting list. You may also call Darrell directly at (425) 277-4070 between the hours of 7:00 am and 3:00 pm (Pacific Time).

REGISTRATION DATES

Prior Students

If you have previously taken one of Darrell’s classes…

At the Open House

(and for feedback respondents)

Open Registration

WHAT TO EXPECT

From a Darrell Peart Class

Darrell teaches from his experience. In the beginning—before he made it on his own—Darrell worked two jobs: primarily as an employee in various high end custom contract shops, and then in his off hours, he built made-to-order studio furniture in his own shop. His methods and materials used reflect both these experiences.

In one of Darrell’s classes, you might employ traditional joinery machined with a router and a CNC-made jig. His drawers are, by default, hung on waxed wooden runners (shop made), but if the drawer calls for full extension or heavy files, European metal slides will be employed.

Much of his construction is of solid wood, but if a veneer will do the job better, he has no aversion to its use.

Darrell practices what he calls “Precision Woodworking.” This starts with CAD-produced drawings and relies upon precise measurements using dial indicators and Vernier calipers.

Chisels and card scrapers are used, along with a lot of hand shaping and sanding, to achieve the Greene & Greene elements. Hand planes are used infrequently.

Darrell’s class sizes are limited to four students. This makes for a more relaxed atmosphere, but also allows Darrell to spend more time with each student. Time permitting, excursions can be taken to talk about furniture design or the different processes Darrell uses—neither topics takes much coaxing for Darrell to get started.

We hope your experience in one of Darrell’s home shop classes will be unique. You can expect a more relaxed and freer flow of knowledge and more one-on-one attention as well. There is one thing you can expect much less of, though: waiting times on tools and machines.

Hope to see you there!

THE DETAILS

Enrolling, Paying, Cancelling & Accommodations

Enrollment

For “away classes,” contact the school where the class will be held.

To enroll in a Seattle class, or to be put on the waiting list, please Contact Darrell and he will get back to you quickly. You may also call Darrell between the hours of 8:00 am and 3:00 pm (Pacific Time) at (425) 277-4070. Please leave a message. When sending a message via the contact form, please include your phone number and address.

Payment

For a deposit, Darrell does not accept credit cards at this time—sorry! Personal checks can be sent to:

Darrell Peart Furnituremaker
9824 30th Ave. S.W.
Seattle, WA 98126

Cancellations

Darrell likes to keep his classes small. To make this work, most classes must be full. Although there is usually a waiting list, it can sometimes be difficult to arrange travel, accommodations, and schedule vacation on short notice. For this reason, full refunds are available up until six weeks prior to the class date. After that, a refund only will only be provided if the vacated spot is filled.

Darrell’s Unique Designs

All project classes feature designs by Darrell. By taking a class, you are granted permission to reproduce a piece for personal use only and not for profit or remuneration.